Well Hello There

I'm at work on Sunday again because, well I don't know why.  But I would hate for that last post to be the first impression anyone has of the blog.  Not that I really dislike the post, but it is kinda whiny, and the artsy tone is very much an anomaly.

I went out with movie buddy last Saturday night.  I was actually hoping to find a play or concert to go to, but somehow the pickin's in this burg were very slim this month.  What a disappointment.  So we ended up in the local multi-plex, scanning the listings...studying the listings...praying that we had overlooked something in the listings, because there was NOTHING we wanted to see (especially since I am NEVER wasting my time with another 3D veiwing).  So we went to the least objectionable offering: Woman in Black.

Now, I need to say that I do not watch horror movies, because I am a little frightened rabbit.  I learned this through the few low-level B horror movies I saw as a kid, and the time there was some "Tale of Two Cities" on TV.  The "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies came out right when I was in junior high, and everyone wanted to tell me about them, because my name is very similar to one of the characters. But it's not just homicidal-lunitic flicks that I avoid - as I said, "Tale of Two Cities"was too upsetting.  I don't watch movies about comets hurtling towards earth, orcs abducting children through bedroom closets, or aliens who travel the galaxy to ravage lush, weak planets.  In fact when "Independence Day" was in theaters, a friend invited me to go to the movie with her, and I really, terribly need a night out.  I told her I would go, but I was going to look away and cover my ears anytime an alien sighting seemed likely, and she would have to poke me to let me know when it was safe to watch again.  She thought I was joking.  She mis-poked once, I got a full-frontal view of the squid-like beings.  I had trouble sleeping the next few nights, had to keep thinking "imagine they are Star Wars aliens, imagine they are Star Wars aliens..." 

But I was out with movie buddy, and we had to see SOMETHING.  "Well, I will turn my head away. And movie buddy is big and strong, maybe that presence will make me feel more secure.  I don't know.  God, please help me here; I want to spend an evening out without paying for it in sleepless nights".  Okay - no more suspense, I had a good time, and with almost no bad after-effects.  This was the silliest movie I have been to in a long time.  The people behind us were completely obnoxious, talking through the whole thing, just as we were, which did a lot to lighten the mood as well.  The movie might as well have been called "Harry Potter VIII."  I do NOT recommend this movie, it was dumb as dumb, but I was so pleased.

I'm now realizing that the last time I gave a great review, it was for Super-8, another stupid (but, unlike "Woman in Black," immensely enjoyable) horror-movie.  And I really liked the latest Terminator movie, and I saw that alone.  What can I say?   My favorite movies are "It's a Wonderful Life."  and "This is Spinal Tap."  I would pick a movie with interesting, funny dialog over almost anything else, except maybe great fun musicals.  But thrilling is sometimes fun too.

A Box in Neon Pink Paper Outside My Door

I'm here at work because.
Because I have to change the medium on my transfected cells.
Because I wanted to play on the computer.  Because I eat if I sit at home alone.  Because I can.  Because I have nothing better to do.

My mother sent me gifts.
She loves giving gifts.
She loves giving gifts to me.
I hate these gifts.  Big problems that I need to keep or toss or find another home.  And I need to say how wonderful they are, how much I love them, how much I love getting them.

I don't like poetry.
I don't think this is poetry.
I don't know what to write.  But I need to connect.  But I need to feel that someone knows who I am.  Even if I feed her all the lines.

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It seems to me modern artists insist it isn't art if it doesn't shock and provoke.  When did it become lowly for art simply to be beautiful?  To reflect the beauty of the world, to provide beauty to ingest. 

Hand Sanitizer = Stupid or Malicious?

I have been invited for a meal by one of those nice, wrong-minded people I spoke of in my political blog of Nov '11 .  They are really such nice people that I found myself accepting the offer.  This morning in the car,  my middle-school son, who was the hit of the last meal for his intelligent inquisitiveness, asked about the political reporting on the radio. I let fly with my ideology, along with notice of the meal plans.  Since then I have been thinking about whether I want to take up the political gauntlet (I'm still not sure if the hosts-to-be are clear how strongly opposed are our viewpoints).

Coincidentally, I was on the phone this morning with my mother while in the super-market today.  I noticed one of the newer instruments of mankind's-destruction now available to the general consumer: No-touch foam hand sanitizer . Turn your home into a hospital, the leading breeding ground for Multiple-Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus, and other antibiotic resistant super-bacteria, and pass the gift on to all your little friends.  I tried to explain to my mother why this is such a bad idea, but, like most people, she just wasn't that interested. 

Yes, another analogy: This antimicrobial foam is a metaphor for short-sighted, selfish political goals in fiscal policy, health-care policy, environmental policy, etc.  If you look at the effect of wide-spread antimicrobial foam use,  from a broad perspective, it is clear that all research and common sense indicates these products are quite hazardous.  Now there will be a bell-curve distribution of people across the whole "do you use antimicrobial sanitizers?" spectrum.  I believe very few people are on the truly evil ends of the spectrum = "I do/don't use it because I want to spread disease around the earth."  There are some evil people obviously = the marketing geniuses and bigwigs, at the NICE manufacturers of home cleansing agents who have no reason to sue me for libel,  who came up with this bright idea to make a lot of money on people's misguided fears and best intentions. There are then a few more people, further toward the middle who act for purely selfish reason: "I have to protect myself first before worrying about others by using/not using this stuff." Then there are the great masses of people who want to do what's best, but don't see beyond the ads "WARNING: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY NOW OR YOU ARE A STUPID, BAD-PARENTING LOSER, and it's all so simple..."  

Now do I want to use this analogy at the table?  "...So tell me, are your views malicious, or merely ignorant?"